CONTENTS

The Common European Asylum System, which is expected to be concluded by
the end of the year, during Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU,
was the main issue of discussion during a meeting held on Saturday
between Minister of the Interior Neoclis Sylikiotis and Member of the
European Parliament Cecilia Wikstrom.

In statements after the meeting, the Cypriot Minister stressed the
importance of maintaining the good cooperation between the Cypriot
presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament. He
pointed out that the completion of the Common European Asylum System by
the end of 2012 constitutes a priority for the Cypriot presidency of
the Council as well as for the EU.

The European Parliaments support in our effort is very important. In
this framework, we will continue our cooperation with the EP so that we
manage to overcome any difficulties and differences and thus achieve
the goal of concluding the issue by the end of 2012, he said.

In her statements, Wikstrom, who is the EPs rapporteur for the Dublin
II regulation, said that the Cypriot Minister puts all his energy into
achieving the final goal to have a Common European Asylum System in
Europe before the end of this year, as we have promised our citizens.

The Swedish MEP expressed conviction that this will be achieved, even
though the work is very hard and we still have many obstacles to
dismantle before we reach this goal.